Thursday 30 August 2007

Museum Or Memorial

I understand that by having the word 'Canada' in the title, I should understand that The Canadian War Museum will have a slight bias. On Tuesday this week it was decided that they would adjust the wording of a display panel since it upset Canadian veterans. Since its unveiling, the "Strategic Bombing: An Enduring Controversy" panel has been surrounded with its own controversy. The panel which questions the value and morality of Allied raids that killed 600,000 Germans and left another five million homeless. Upset at the portrayal of World War II bombings, veterans protested against the panel. The panel and its wording are not lies.

History can be so varied and told in many different ways. It is important that many perspectives are seen and discussed. If we cannot debate and study the many sides of war in a War Museum, where should we? Horrible things happen in war, the stories need to be told. Canada has done terrible things to people all over the world and even within our own nation. I feel it is below us to deny, hide, or rewrite history. All veterans are brave and noble people who fought for our country and our values. However, we need to still question choices and actions made in war.

Wednesday 29 August 2007

Made My Month

I found out last night that my local corner store sells cat litter. This is extremely exciting because the store is so close and open fairly late. It is even $2 cheaper then buying it in the grocery store. I will never again have an excuse for Binx's litter to not be full, fresh and perfect!!

Tuesday 28 August 2007

Old Window's Games

Do you remember this games? Don't you miss them? Ami's boyfriend found them and showed her where to download them off the net. I found the free download and used the self-extracting file since I don't have winzip. I can't wait to play all the old school stuff now. Oh it brings me back to Grade 10.

Monday 27 August 2007

New Link

I have adjusted some of the links to the right. Halley is no longer in Paris and is back to her regular life in Tacoma, so her Blog is now just called "Halley's Blog". It is still very interesting and has flavours of Paris and her time living there still in her writing. I have added "B+T's Japan Blog" as this cute couple I know are heading to Japan and will be writing a blog about their experience. Best of luck to Brian and Tina.

Friday 24 August 2007

Humour

I feel I have a good sense of humour, or at least a sense of humour in general be it good or bad. It is hard to nail down what it is that I do to be funny since it isn't really witty, goofy, sarcastic, or silly. I think I tend to try to be exaggerated and melodramatic for a humourous effect at the ridiculousness of my statements or behaviour. I feel this might make me satirical in nature. (I have always loved satire.)

Basically I tend to exaggerate to draw notice to the ridiculousness of other people, possibly even those around me, which I guess is, in a way, slightly insulting. More often though it is poking fun at a dumb societal idea, stereotype, or behaviour like "the drama queen" or "the dumb girl." I tend to be pretty ironic and occasionally sarcastic, both of which can be tied at times to satire. I definitely feel that this is a area of humour and literature that I'm interested in and should pursue further.

Wednesday 22 August 2007

Men And The Phone

He was too busy to call...
"Oh sure, they say they're busy. They say that they didn't have even a moment in their insanely busy day to pick up the phone. It was just that crazy. Bullshit. With the advent of payphones, cell phones and speed dialing it is almost impossible not to call you. Sometimes I call people from my pants pocket when I don't even mean to. We may try to make you think differently but we men are just like you. We like taking a break from our generally mundane day to talk to someone we like. It makes us happy. And we like to be happy. Just like you. If I were into you, you would be the bright spot in my horribly busy day. Which would be a day that I would never be too busy to call you." -G.B

He says he will call at a certain time, but doesn't...
"Most guys will say what they think you want to hear at the end of a date or phone call, "I will call you over the weekend" or "I will give you a call tomorrow", rather than say nothing at all. Some guys are lying, some guys really mean it. Here is how you tell the difference: You know they mean it when they actually do what they said they were going to do. Here is something else to think about: Calling when you say you're going to is the very first brick in the house you are building of love and trust. If he can't lay this one stupid brick down, you aren't never gonna have a house, baby. And it's cold outside." -G.B.

If he really likes you, he calls...
"A picture of what you'll never see when you're with a guy who's really into you: You'll never see you staring at your phone willing it to ring. You'll never see you ruining an evening with friends because he forgot to call. You'll never see you hating yourself for calling him when you know you shouldn't have. What you will see is you being treated so well that no phone antics will be necessary, You'll be too busy being adored" -G.B.

The final two points...
"If he's not calling you, it's because you are not on his mind."-G.B.

"You deserve a fucking phone call." 
-Greg Behrendt from 'He's Just Not That Into You'

He's Just Not That Into You

"When it comes to men, 
deal with them as they are, 
not how you'd like them to be.

I just finished reading this book, by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. It was really worth picking up. I'm almost tempted to buy it for every girl I know, even more tempted to buy it for myself. The authors claim that the book and concept is liberating, and that isn't 100% true. I found some of it depressing and upsetting, especially when reflecting on my own past and failed romances. Pretty much everything rang true in the book though and it really made me feel like I was worth love and great relationships. I hope to be stronger and smarter with dating in the future. There were a number of strong, eye-opening points.

From now on, I will stop making excuses for and accepting excuses from guys; stop putting up with and living in a less-then-loving relationship; and won't waste any more of my friend's and my time with crying about, and analysing, hurtful behaviour. If I am doing these things, then the guy has done something that is showing he isn't that interested me and what I care about. If he truly wanted to pursue me or be in a relationship with me, then I should be happy and content with his behavior towards me a vast majority of the time.

Some very basic and very simple truths from the book:
-- He's just not that into you if he's not asking you out
-- It is abuse if he yells at you, publicly humiliates you, or makes you feel fat and unattractive
-- By staying with a guy that isn't perfect for you, you are ensuring you never find one who is
-- Most men do not change and if they do it is only when they met a new women
-- Life is hard enough as it is without choosing someone difficult to share it with

Tuesday 21 August 2007

The Best Ride

For excitement, fear, thrills, and fun nothing beats the basic midway ride, The Zipper. The Paris Fair always has it, as does the Ottawa Exhibition, which I visited tonight with some friends. What adds to the fear is knowing how many times the ride has been assembled and dissembled each year, and how far all its pieces travel and who exactly puts it together each time.

In Paris, guys in my high school would just hang around the fair grounds a couple days before it all opened and help set things up. Safety regulations? You're held into the cages by a simple strip of metal. The chance of accident seems greater then in the streamlined amusement park rides, with their many locking safety bars and straps.

The impracticability of The Zipper is also amazing, there is no track to help you know when your going to go upside down or flip, it could happen at anytime and in a number of different ways. I rode it twice and may try to get back to ride it some more this week.

Sunday 19 August 2007

My Creative Family

My little cousin, Carla, shot and directed a music video for the Alexisonfire Rough Hands Music Video Contest. Her older brother, obviously also my cousin, stars in it as the male lead. I can't believe how good he is in it. I also can't believe how good the video is in general. I'm so proud of her! Wow Carla!!

[2017 Update] This post previously contained a link to the music video that is no longer active.

Anna and The Boy Roommate

Anna and The Boy Roommate are pretty much completely moved out. There are still some of their stuff around but they are sleeping and living at their new apartment now. The big move was yesterday. I'm not ready to have them gone yet. Beyond the fact that I have to give up having a guy around who could fix anything; Anna's amazing comforter that I have been sleeping with; and the only phone in the house that ever really worked; I really will have to let go of the fact that I won't be living with two of my really good friends anymore.

I don't know who is going to provide the comic relief with The Boy Roommate gone and Anna is such a great friend I will miss her company so much. I know they are just around the corner, and we will get together lots. It just feels like the house is a little empty and lonely right now and I miss them so much. Time spent with Anna always feels too short. The time she was here before going to France wasn't long enough, the time I spent with her in Paris wasn't long enough, and definitely the time spent living together after she returned wasn't long enough either. I miss her, already.

Friday 17 August 2007

Great News

My government job got extended until the end of December. I'm really happy since I love it there. I'm going to still take two night courses at Carleton to work towards my degree. We will see what happens for January though, I may go back full time then.

Thursday 16 August 2007

Murphy's Law

Of course the first morning I have my bike back it rains. I ended up having Anna drive me to work. I need to go downtown after work, so I will take a bus home from there. I don't want summer to end, it makes me so sad. Gloomy, cold Fall days really depress me.

Wednesday 15 August 2007

Bike's Back

I picked up my bike this afternoon, it had been in the shop getting fixed. The gears now shift as smooth as cutting soft butter, it is a dream to ride. Even if the seat is still a little too low. Everything is going to be so much faster, easier, and cheaper for me now. Too bad it is already starting to smell a bit like Fall.

Monday 13 August 2007

Canada's Rhino Party

I can remember a long time ago my parents fondly talking about the Rhino Political Party that believed in levitation. Well the Rhino Party is making a political comeback and it turns out that they don't believe in levitation per say, but that one of there political promises is that if voted into power they will repel gravity. I'm excited to see what they will say next, there are definitely going to be some fun by-elections coming up in Quebec.

Sunday 12 August 2007

A Smaller Town

After growing up in Paris, which I call "Small Town Southern Ontario," it will be only a small adjustment when my parents soon move to an even smaller town. I just came back from a week spent at our cottage on Long Point. My parents tore down the old, ugly, and pretty much structurally unsound cottage that was there; and have built a beautiful little house to move into in the next couple of years.

The closest town to the Long Point community is Port Rowen, about 7 kilometres away. Just under 1,000 people live there, which is about a tenth of Paris's population. Besides its quaint small town, harbor side village, feel; the first thing that hinted to its uniqueness was that the hair salon on a small side road off the strip offered: hair cuts, hair products, make-up application, make-up, jewelry, small gift items, and fishing rods. We popped in to see what was for sale and I remembered that I needed to get my eyebrows waxed. I asked how much and she told me $7.50, I made an appointment for that same hour. Even in tiny Paris it is at least $12 to get it done and closer to $18 here in the city.

Not even big enough for a Tim Hortons, Port Rowan has a small coffee shop attached to a fast food burger place at the edge of town, mind you hardware stores abound. They even have a decent sized LCBO and Beer Store, though it seems only one or two bars. Along the main street, Port Rowan also has a large number of boutique gift shops, I bought a part of sliver dress shoes for work in one. No matter how small the town I can always find shoes! In one of the coffee shops you could even get a single bed size handmade quilt for $40, which is a ridiculous steal.

I got some magazines to read on the beach at the pharmacy and decided to pick up a local newspaper for $2. I discovered that "The Port Rowan Good News" is only published monthly, in comparison to "The Paris Star" which comes out every week. A full article, with photograph, in "The Port Rowan Good News" was of the lady who owns the Port of Dollars Discount Store, celebrating the store's 5th anniversary. Although it seemed odd when I read it, I remembered that it was just the sort of thing that "The Paris Star" would report on as well.

The paper also yielded a brochure for Bayfest, a country fair like event which lasts only a weekend. It has a mix of contests, church breakfasts, community BBQ's, fair rides, parades, concerts, other events, and of course fireworks. The contests range from the usual Baby and Pet ones, also seen at the week long Paris Fair, to location specific events like beach volleyball, sandcastle building, kite surfing, and skim boarding. No prizes were listed for any of the events, save one. A $300 first prize in the Ugliest Truck Competition. All Ugly Truck entries join the parade, but the best takes home the $300, an amount which was in bold type with an exclamation mark in the Bayfest pamphlet. What really set the tone for the whole event and the town in general, is that at Port Rowan's Bayfest, the clown is sponsored by the funeral home.

Missing Long Point


View from the front deck of the cottage. 

(Picture by Stephanie Beach, taken early morning.) 
I miss it so much. What a wonderful week!

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Hiatus

I will be at the cottage reading trashy magazines and books, sunning all day, running with my parents, walking on the beach, eating corn on the cob, watching The Girls Next Door, and generally having a wonderful and relaxing time. I will be back in the O-Town around August 13th.

Thursday 2 August 2007

Favorite Tree

I know that this is a pretty random post, but The Weeping Willow has always been my favorite tree. I used to see a lot of them in London, Ontario when I visited my Grandma. There are a number on my walk to and from work, which makes me happy.

I'm SO Lucky

I almost wish this would stop happening to me so I can learn to be a bit better with money the hard way. But it seems that whenever I have been even the tiniest bit careless with my spending something happens, and I get some unexpected money. It is like a real game of Monopoly and I keep landing on Free Parking.

I have stretched myself a little bit financially with my brothers visit, followed shortly be the trip to Ami's cottage, followed shortly by my upcoming vacation at my own cottage. Last night I opened up a letter that had arrived to find my GST rebate. Normally this is about $60 four times a year but this year it is over $400 and there will be 3 more coming this year each at $90 a piece. So relieving to have, as that pays the rent!

The Man-Boy

I'm happy to continue to be single for a while, since it is quite a rare occurrence for me, but I still like to look at and dream about guys. I can't seem to find a decent guy to crush on. I rarely get to meet new people anymore, and the office offers nothing really in terms of young guys, especially not available young guys. (I can't seem to crush on a guy who is taken, it feels wrong to me.)

When I do crush it seems I'm going way younger. It is like I'm 14 all over again, dreaming about JTT and Devon Sawa. I need to get over this attraction I have to boys. Any teenager or guy in their early 20's will have nothing in common with me. I just have more life experience, been away from home for 4 years now, and tons has happened.

The next option is those guys in their mid 20's, making their age and life experience right at par with me. They seem to be either in a long-term serious relationship or dating all over the place and very unstable. I also find them annoying, they tend to remind me of fraternity guys, which I despise. That leaves me with the late 20 year olds and those in their early 30's. I can't get over that these guys are now men and no longer boys. It seems odd to consider yourself ready to date a man, as I connect the idea of "men" to my father.

I guess I'm not ready to grow-up, I'm scared that I will end up either dooming myself to have bad relationships from bad guy choices or stay crushing on young boys and become a cougar at 23.

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Working On Her Birthday

Erin, one of the FSWEPers, turns 22 today, and she is working. I know the feeling, until this year I have worked on my birthday the past 6 years. So, Happy Birthday Erin, look at that cheeky half grin.